'Inefficient' NHS blamed for cancer drug bans

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Professor Karol Sikora blamed "bureaucrats" for denying people expensive medication banned on the NHS but freely available on the Continent. He said cancer specialists must be involved in making decisions on the benefits of drugs even if they are costly.

The oncologist from London's Imperial College said: "The real tragedy is the inefficiency of the NHS which has led to many cancer drugs routinely available in European countries simply not being used here.

"It just can't be that the NHS is right and every other western European country is wrong. There should be no need to top-up for cancer. We have to change the way we assess treatment benefits and get cancer specialists, not bureaucrats, involved in decision-making."

Health Secretary Alan Johnson is today expected to lift a lift a ban on cancer patients buying drugs privately .

Currently, patients lose their right to free treatment if they pay extra for life-extending drug not available on the NHS. Mr Johnson will, however, tell doctors that such patients must be treated on a separate ward.

Ministers are also expected to announce they are working with pharmaceutical companies to ensure fewer cancer drugs are rejected by rationing body the National Institute of Clinical Excellence on cost grounds.

Nigel Edwards, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, warned the new rules could undermine the core principles of the health service. He also called for changes to how Nice operates.

He said: "This change in policy is welcome and helps deal with a situation which had become unsupportable.

"But allowing private payments alongside NHS care cannot be allowed to become the thin end of the wedge no one wants a two-speed health service.

"Most importantly Nice's procedures need to be speeded up so decisions about useful new drugs are made as quickly as possible."

King's Fund chief executive Niall Dickson said: "Patients who decide to pay for an additional drug should also pay for any extra costs to the NHS of administering that drug."